Camden, NJ Agrees to Pay $3.5 Million to 87 Plaintiffs Over Wrongful Arrest Claims
By David Madden
CAMDEN, N.J. (CBS) -- An out-of-court settlement has been reached with all but one of the plaintiffs suing the City of Camden for wrongful arrest, stemming from the actions of a band of corrupt former cops.
The city has agreed to pay out a total of $3.5 million -- half of which will be covered by insurance -- to 87 people who were arrested by Camden narcotics officers who were later found to have planted evidence and trumped up charges, some of which led to convictions that were later dismissed by county prosecutors. (That's about $40,200 per plaintiff.)
Eleven other victims received a $340,000 settlement last year (an average of about $30,900 per person).
Three cops pleaded guilty to corruption charges in federal court, a fourth was convicted, and a fifth cleared of all charges against him.
Camden officials, in a printed statement, expressed pleasure with the settlement, noting that "the actions of a few rogue police officers does not reflect the dedicated work of the entire department."
